IOC's Rogge agrees to meet with wrestling leader

Published 11:21 pm, Wednesday, February 13, 2013

International Olympic Committee, IOC, President Jacques Rogge speaks during a press conference after the last day of the executive board's meeting, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. IOC President Jacques Rogge has backed Pat McQuaid to lead the International Cycling Union in its ongoing dispute with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Rogge tells reporters the Olympic body does not currently plan on intervening in a row fuelled by the Lance Armstrong doping case. Asked for an opinion on cycling's leadership, Rogge says "we have confidence in Mr. McQuaid as president of the UCI." (AP Photo/Keystone,/Laurent Gillieron)

International Olympic Committee, IOC, President Jacques Rogge...

International Olympic Committee, IOC, President Jacques Rogge gestures during a press conference after the last day of the executive board's meeting, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. IOC President Jacques Rogge says he will meet with the head of wrestling's governing body to discuss ways the sport can fight to save its place in the 2020 Olympics. The IOC executive board dropped wrestling from the program of the 2020 Games on Tuesday, removing it from the list of 26 sports contested at last year's London Olympics. The decision, which still must be ratified by the full IOC in September, has been widely criticized by wrestling organizations around the world. (AP Photo/Keystone,/Laurent Gillieron)

International Olympic Committee, IOC, President Jacques Rogge...

Russian lawmaker, ruling United Russia Party member, three-time Russian Olympic champion Alexander Karelin, former wrestler, listens during a parliament session in Moscow, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. Karelin noted in an interview with Vyes' Sport that Russians and Soviets have won 77 gold medals. "It's understandable that a lot of people didn't like this," Karelin said. "I'm not a supporter of conspiracy theory, but it seems to me that the underlying cause here is obvious." While wrestling will be included at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, it was cut from the games in 2020, which have yet to be awarded to a host city. (AP Photo)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Facing a wave of criticism from around the world, IOC President Jacques Rogge will meet with the head of wrestling's governing body to discuss ways the sport can fight to save its place in the Olympics.

The IOC executive board dropped wrestling from the program of the 2020 Games on Tuesday, a decision that brought a sharp backlash from wrestling organizations and national Olympic bodies around the world, including the United States, Russia and Iran.

The move must still be ratified by the full International Olympic Committee in September, giving wrestling time to try to overturn a decision against a sport that dates back to the ancient Olympics and has been featured since the inaugural modern games in 1896.

Rogge said he has been contacted by Raphael Martinetti, the Swiss president of international wrestling federation FILA, and was encouraged by the sport's resolve to make changes and fight for its place.

"We agreed we would meet at the first opportunity to have discussions," Rogge said at a news conference at the close of a two-day board meeting. "I should say FILA reacted well to this disheartening news for them.

"They vowed to adapt the sport and vowed to fight to be eventually included in the 2020 slot."

Wrestling, which remains on the program for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, still has a chance to stay on the list for 2020 — if it manages to respond decisively to the wake-up call and convince the IOC to reverse course.

"This is not the end of the day. The door is not closed," IOC vice president Thomas Bach of Germany said.